Rainbow Lorikeet

Trichoglossus haematodus

Queensland, Australia - October 2016

Queensland, Australia - October 2016

Queensland, Australia - September 2014

Rainbow Lorikeet is one of a group of parrots sometimes known as the "brush-tongued parrots due to the presence of several erectile papilae on the tip of its elongated tongue. It uses these to brush pollen grains into its mouth when feeding on flowers. One of its favourite food sources are the various species of Banksia trees, whose flowers produce copious quantities of nectar and pollen.

New South Wales, Australia - October 2010

They are considered a pest in many areas due to the damage they cause to fruit orchards, where large flocks can strip the trees of the fresh fruit. They also cause problems for the indigenous wildlife in areas where they have been introduced, by competing for nest-holes.

New South Wales, Australia - October 2010

Rainbow Lorikeets are widespread and common along most of the eastern and northern seaboards of Australia, although they are now rare in Victoria. They also occur in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia.